Autonomous airships startup Kelluu, based in Finland, has raised €15m in Series A funding as investors double down on technologies aimed at plugging Europe’s growing defence gaps.
The round was led by NATO Innovation Fund, marking the body’s first investment into a Finnish company, with participation from Keen Venture Partners, Gungnir Capital and Tesi.
Kelluu operates the largest fleet of autonomous airships in the world, designed to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (or “ISR”). While satellite imagery can lack detail and drones struggle with battery life, Kelluu aims to deliver both via its hydrogen-powered, unmanned aircraft, which can remain airborne for more than 12 hours, even in harsh weather conditions.
Five of its airships can monitor up to 30k sq km — roughly the size of Belgium — from a single base, the company says.
Cofounder and CEO Janne Hietala already has almost two decades of entrepreneurial experience under his belt, most notably from Valamis Group, where he spearheaded the company’s transition from a local developer into a globally recognised digital learning platform.
“The gap between what needs to be watched and what existing platforms can actually watch is widening,” said Giuseppe Lacerenza, partner at Amsterdam-based Keen Venture Partners.
“This team was forged on one of Europe's most exposed borders, backed by leadership that has built and scaled before. It shows in the product and in how the company is run.”
The raise comes as European governments ramp up defence spending, particularly on capabilities seen as critical to securing NATO’s eastern flank and Arctic regions against any future aggression. Sifted recently reported how Europe’s defence VCs have been increasingly eager to invest in cheaper air defence systems.
Kelluu, which previously completed two phases of NATO’s defence accelerator, DIANA,said the funding will be used to scale its fleet and further develop its sensing platform, with applications spanning both defence and civilian use cases, from wildfire detection to infrastructure monitoring.
